London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1935
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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49
The Council, in November, 1935, decided that the members of the staffs employed
at the residential establishments for children should be given the opportunity of
being immunised against diphtheria if they so desired. The officers and employees
concerned are being asked whether they wish to be immunised.
Active
immunisation
against
scarlet fever.
Active immunisation against scarlet fever is being carried out at two of the
Council's residential schools—Mayford approved school and Shirley residential
school.
The position in each of these schools since active immunisation commenced is set out in the following tables:—
Table 29.—(a) Mayford approved school. Accommodation, 150. Ages 9-15 (males).
| Year | 1933. | 1934. | 1935. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number in residence | 143 | 146 | 145 | |||
| Tested for susceptibility | Whole school | 41* | 53* | |||
| Refusals | 10 | 1* | 1* | |||
| Number (and percentage) of susceptibles found | 8 out of 51† (15.7 per cent.) | 11 (26.8 per cent.) | 7 (13.2 per cent.) | |||
| Negative after 5 injections | 6 | 8† | 10 | 11 | 7 | |
| Negative after further injection(s) | 2 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Cases of scarlet fever occurring in the school | 2 (not tested) | 0 | 0 | |||
* Represents new admissions.
† These figures relate to 8 susceptibles out of 51 tested for whom complete records were kept.
Complete records were not kept of the remaining 92 children tested in 1933.
(b) Shirley residential school.
Accommodation, 600. Ages, 2-16 (males and females).
(b)Shirley residential Shcool
Accommodation, 600. Age, 2-16(make and female)
| Year | 1934. | 1935. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average number in residence | 520 | 530 | ||
| Tested for susceptibility | 442 | 159 | ||
| Refusals | 9 | 13 | ||
| Number (and percentage) of susceptibles found | 63 (14.3 per cent.) | 27 (17 per cent.). | ||
| Negative after 5 injections | 37 | 63 | 8 | 27 |
| Negative after further injection(s) | 18 | 14 | ||
| Left before completion of course | 8 | 5 | ||
| Cases of scarlet fever— | ||||
| (a) Among those not tested or immunised* | 4 | 6 | ||
| (6) Among those in the scheme : | ||||
| (i) Before completion of course of injections | 1 | 0 | ||
| (ii) After completion of course of injections | 0 | 1 (11 months later) | ||
| (iii) Negative after preliminary test | 1 | 0 | ||
* Including parental refusals and those for whom parental consent had not been received.
In both schools immunisation began at a time when scarlet fever was prevalent. A comparison of the incidence of the disease before and after immunisation is provided by the following figures:—
Table 30.
| Year. | Mayford. | Year. | Shirley. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | 3 | 1932 | 35 |
| 1933 | Jan. to April 9 | 1933 | 41 |
| 1934 | January ... 2 | ||
| 23rd May: | 1st February: | ||
| 2 (not immunised) | 6 (one "immune" after preliminary test). | ||
| 1934 | 0 | ||
| 1935 | 0 | ||
| 1935 | 7 (one returned as "immune" after completion of course of injections). |